Pokémon Go: Origins
by Wynter-Solstice
Summary: Blanche, Candela and Spark- Three names the world's come to respect seemingly overnight. But there's always more to the team leader than meets the eye. This is their story.
1. The Allards

**A/N: Hello everyone. After reading _surfacage_ 's comic entitled "Trust your Instincts", I couldn't help but imagine the origin story of Blanche, Candela and Spark. Were they always friends? How did they become leaders of Team Mystic, Valor and Instinct respectively? When did they find the legendary birds?**

 **Just an idea I wanted to play with, and I do hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **KANTO REGION**

 **OLD YEAR'S 1999**

The Allards always celebrated Old Year's Night in style. After all, their home was ideally situated for the firework show that it seemed almost selfish not to share the experience of heralding the new year.

Being the turn of a new century meant that they went all out- inviting everyone in the village, indulging in ice sculptures and chocolate fountains. No expense was to be spared.

Usually, both adults would postpone all meetings on that day but Mr. Allard was not to be expected home until 6:00 p.m. that evening.

"Unavoidable," he had said to his wife earlier that morning, pressing his lips onto her forehead before picking up his briefcase. "You know I wouldn't have gone if it were anything less."

"I know," she replied, "Though I wish you could have. There is a lot to get done." She adjusted the toddler on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Miri," he whispered apologetically. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise."

"I know you would. I wasn't worried."

She watched as he left, and smiled when he turned back to raise his hand in farewell.

"Wave goodbye to Daddy, Blanche," she told the baby.

"BYE DAD!" someone shouted from the upstairs balcony, startling her.

He looked upwards. "Noir, what are you doing up this early!?" he asked with a grin.

She could only imagine her son's face, lighting up with mischief, as he mumbled a 'Nothing, Dad'.

Both parents knew better than to press.

"Help your mum today, okay son? Keep your sister occupied."

"But… I wanted to…"

Mr. Allard raised his left eyebrow.

"Yes Dad."

Shutting the door, Miriam set Blanche down on her play-mat. She instantly went for her Magikarp plushie. "SPLASH!" she proclaimed loudly for her mum.

"Yes, Blanche. Very good."

Maybe when she was older, Miriam would tell her why Magikarp weren't a particularly wise choice for her Pokemon line-up. Though… perhaps she could have just said no in the toy-store. And maybe not indulge the child when she asked what was their strongest attack.

"Lucario!" she called, and a blue Pokemon- bipedal with canine features- promptly appeared in the doorway. "Look after Blanche, please? I'm going to see what he brother is up to."

He nodded, and she touched his arm in thanks as she left.

…

"I'm coming in!" she called outside of her six-year-old son's bedroom door.

"NO MUM!" she heard the shout, but a little too late. Her hand was already on the doorknob and turning,

She heard the rustle of wings as something brown flew towards her head. She ducked in time

"PIDGEY!" it cawed, making a U-turn and trying again.

"PIDGEY STOP!" Noir shouted.

It slowed its attack mid-flight, eyes glittering as if disappointed, and circled back onto Noir's bedpost.

Miriam Allard put both hands on her hips.

"Outside, I know," he said resignedly, but a brief look of hopefulness crossed his features for a moment. After all, the Pidgey did listen to him. And Mum saw, didn't she?

"Can I keep him?"

She smiled. "I'll think about it."

* * *

It wasn't strange that Mr. Allard wasn't home earlier, as he had promised. What was strange was that he hadn't returned by the time the guests started arriving.

She left Blanche in her pale blue dress and Noir, dressed smartly in his white shirt and black pants, greeting everyone at the door. Locating the landline, she dialled her husband's cell phone.

No answer.

She tried the office phone.

It went straight to the automated voice that reminded callers of the office hours.

Not knowing what else to do, she joined her children at the door.

* * *

 **OLD YEAR'S NIGHT**

 **10:00 P.M.**

The festivities took everyone to the back lawn. Adults mingled near the drinks table while the kids played a bit further off. Noir took his friends to see his newly-caught Pidgey, much to the delight of everyone. They had, after all, four years to go before they each begun their journey to become a Pokémon master.

Even though Pidgey was scarcely a starter Pokémon, it didn't stop them from launching into a full-on discussion on its evolutions. And which attack was strongest. And the best Pokémon to combat it in aerial battle.

Needless to say, it was a conversation in which Noir thrived.

Blanche, on the other hand, was on her playmat that Lucario had kindly brought outside for her when he had realised that there was nowhere for her to go. She was usually either with her mother or alone, so it came almost as a surprise when a boy her age tottered towards her, followed by her Lucario.

"Your hair's funny," he said to her, climbing onto the mat to take a seat. "I like it."

She tugged at the ends of her platinum hair. "It's _not_ funny," she huffed, sparing a accusing glance at the Pokémon next to them, as if to say, "Why did you bring _him_?"

"I like it," the boy reiterated, confused that she didn't seem to hear that bit. "Mine is brown."

"Yours has a colour."

"Yours has a colour too."

She didn't know what to make of that. Was white a colour? Grandfather had white hair, not like hers, but white nevertheless.

She looked away, focusing on her Magikarp.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

"Blanche," she replied quietly. "Blanche Allard."

"I'm Spark."

"Spark?" she repeated, a smile forming on her mouth.

"What?"

"It's a funny name."

"No it's not."

"It is."

He looked at for a second and then laughed. "You're doing what I did."

"Am not."

"You are too."

She paused. "I don't know any Sparks."

"Well, now you know me."

She nodded her head. "That's true. And now you know someone with white hair."

He laughed again. "I know lots of people with white hair... not like yours."

Lucario made a sound in the back of his throat, making Spark look at him.

"What kind of Pokémon is he?" he asked Blanche.

"I'm not sure. He's Mummy's."

"Oh. What about you?"

"Me?"

"You have Pokémon?"

She held up her Magikarp. "I have this."

He smiled and reached into his jacket, taking out a Pichu plush.

"Wanna play?"

* * *

 **NEW YEAR'S DAY**

 **5:30 A.M.**

Mr. Allard quietly pushed his key into the lock. His wife and the kids would be fast asleep and he had no intention of waking anyone. No doubt they would all be tired from the night's activities- if his lawn was any indication of that.

 _My God, I'm late._ He thought angrily to himself. He thought he would have been, when he realised that it was eight o' clock and his boss demonstrated no intention of ending the meeting.

His boss was not the kind of person you could remind that you had wife and kids waiting for you at home.

He sighed. Miriam would be upset-he was prepared for that. What he wasn't prepared for was the answers to the questions he would have to give.

A rustle behind him. He spun around.

"Lucario," he breathed. "You scared me."

The Pokémon appraised him- betraying not one thought- before blinking twice and padding away.

As if somehow he knew...

"I'm sorry," he called after him. "You know why I have no choice."

 _You always have a choice, Robert._

Allard blinked. It was the first time his wife's Lucario had spoken to him.


	2. Blanche's Magikarp

**KANTO REGION**

 **2004**

Spark was walking up the sidewalk to the Allard residence when Noir was leaving. He could see the excitement in the boy's face- the way it transformed his usual stoic features to something more light-hearted. A bit like Blanche when she was talking about her potential Garados. Then again, it was probably the hair that had them resemble so much.

 _Platinum, not white_ , he recited. Blanche had checked.

Noir did not say anything when he passed in the vehicle, and Spark didn't expect him to… Though the brown-haired boy still turned half-way and raised his hand. The father had the decency to smile, and it was enough.

He would cut Noir some slack today. After all, it was his day. THE day.

The day when every ten-year old went to see the Professor and get their starter Pokemon to begin their journey.

Not that it should be a big deal for Noir, Spark thought after. Blanche said he already had a Pidgeot, and she'd wondered out loud if that was even allowed.

"Probably is," he told her, "He's just a pet."

"Noir doesn't have _pets,_ " she told him exasperatedly. "You should have seen him when he was training it when it was a Pidgeotto."

He couldn't remember what he said to that... Probably told her something about ascribing genders to Pokémon.

* * *

He walked straight into the house, and poked his head around the kitchen doorway.

"Good mor-," he begun, but then cut off when she saw Blanche's mother there, hunched over the sink, back towards him. Her body was racked with silent sobs.

 _It's alright, Spark._

The seven-year-old tore himself away from the scene, just noticing Lucario in the room.

 _But she's…_

 _It's alright. Go find Blanche. She's with her Magikarp._

Spark spared a glance backward, before walking towards the backdoor. _I could just ask Blanche_ , he thought, trying to tear the image from his brain.

He spotted Blanche immediately near her pool tank. Clad in her wetsuit, she was sitting on the edge, dangling her feet in the water. Even with the distance, Spark could see that whatever was bothering her mother was affecting her too.

"Hey," he called, "How's…?" He watched the Magikarp a little more closely. "That's not Finn."

" _I_ didn't give it a name."

"You put him back," he said, accusation creeping into his tone. "You said you were going to keep him."

She looked at him. " _He_ wasn't strong enough," she said with a sigh. Her eyes seemed very far away.

Spark walked up the steps to take a seat next to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… Everything… I don't know."

He retracted a bit. Blanche tended to talk when she was ready. And just then wasn't that time.

"You gave Finn to Professor Oak again?" he said, trying to attempt conversation.

She shook her head. "I was going to, but he wasn't in. I met Professor Willow."

"Who?"

"He's a trainee professor or something. He said he'd give me some kind of special candy for… Finn… Even though he was injured."

"Injured? But you said…?"

"Noir's Pidgeot got him. If I wasn't outside…"

Spark took that in.

"How injured are we talking?" he asked softly, internally wishing he could punch Noir's face in.

"Can you imagine a fish limping?"

"Ermm… No. Well, kinda…If I imagine the legs and…"

She hit his arm, with a chuckle. "You get it. His fins were in pretty bad shape."

"So you didn't give him away because he wasn't strong enough. You sent him to be healed."

"Both," she said, "If he were stronger, he would've…"

"Mightily splashed a Pidgeot?" he finished.

"Well, something!"

"Why do you even love Magikarp so much? They're lame…. Sorry big guy," he called down to the Magikarp in the pool.

She watched him. "I like… their potential."

"Potential? But they could take years to evolve! And in this stage, how could you even like something that has no survival instinct?"

"Evolution is mystical."

"Normal people would just have said magical," he said with a grin.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Like you'd be friends with a normal person."

"No, probably not."

They sat in silence, albeit with the sloshing sound of water against the pool's edge.

"You wanna go for ice cream or something?" Spark said finally.

"I'd love that," she replied without a pause.

* * *

"How are the Caterpie?" Blanche asked, slipping into the seat.

Spark sat opposite her. "You mean the ones that my dad were taking care of? They're okay. The hard bit is keeping them out of sight from the Spearows."

"I'll take a Spearow any day… instead of that Pidgeot."

"They're more scary than they look. Bit like Pidgeys, just less tame."

"Hmmm.."

"You don't have to worry about Noir anymore though. So why…?"

Blanche opened her mouth to answer just when a familiar vehicle drove past the shop window. "Hey, your brother! That took a while. They were leaving when I was coming to see you."

"Oh."

He flashed a concerned look in her direction, and then back at the car. They didn't turn. They weren't going back home.

"Is your dad dropping Noir off somewhere?" he asked her softly, already knowing the answer.

"No. He…"

Spark looked at her and saw the tears welling up in her eyes.

"He's not coming back home."

He'd never seen Blanche cry, he realised. And he wished he never had to again. She was completely out of reach and he knew, nothing he said could be enough.


End file.
